Method for synchronising program sections of a computer program

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method for synchronizing program sections of a computer program. The program sections can run in parallel on different processors of a computer. Data transfer between the program sections is synchronized by providing a buffer. Unauthorized access to the buffer is prevented by means of a flag that is set automatically by buffer utilities. The data transfer between individual program sections is thus synchronized by the buffer synchronization class only, which consists of the buffer, internal variables and the buffer utilities, is configured in a very simple manner and can thus be tested in operation an in a relatively simple manner by means of a computer comprising several processors. The data transfer is very efficient as the individaul utilities are designed in a simple and short manner and thus require little processing time and as the data can be directly written in or read out of the buffer.

[0001] The invention is directed to a method for synchornizing program sections of a computer program whose program sections can run parallel on different processors of a computer.

[0002] The programming and synchronization of threads is explained in “Win 32 Multithreaded Programming”, Aaron Cohen and Mike Woodring, O'Reilly & Associates Inc., ISBN 1-56592-296-4, particularly on pages 258 through 269 and 301 through 303. Such threads are also referred to as program sections below.

[0003] Program sections that generate data for another program section are referred to as producers or writers, and program sections that process such data are referred to as users or readers. In order to optimally utilize the computing power of a computer having a plurality of processors in the division of the work between the individual program sections, it is necessary that the individual program sections work asynchronously. This means that the producer program section can generate as many data as it wishes, and the reader program section can read as many data as are available without thereby having to take the other program section into consideration. The data of a producer program section are packed in packets (messages) by this program section and are entered into a queue from which the reader program section can take and further-process the packets.

[0004] The individual program sections are provided with functions that wait until they can put a corresponding packet in a queue or until a corresponding packet has arrived to be read, so that the correct allocation of the data to the functions that process them is assured. The transport of the data is synchronized as a result whereof.

[0005] The synchronization of the data transfer between individual program sections can be implemented internally or externally. What is meant by an internal synchronization is a synchronization wherein the individual synchronization events are implemented by the program sections, in contrast whereto an external synchronization is implemented by means of programs formed outside the program sections. An external synchronization is preferably employed for data structures that are simultaneously used by different program sections. For the data transfer between individual program sections, it is standard to internally synchronize them. It is assumed that an internal synchronization is easier to realize here and the corresponding programs are shorter.

[0006] One goal of such synchronization mechanisms is that they can be utilized in an optimally versatile way, i.e. that they can be employed by the greatest variety of program sections. The aforementioned queues are an example of communication mechanisms that can be employed in a very versatile way. However, they generate a considerable administration outlay, since the data must be packed in corresponding packets, these packets must be provided with corresponding information, must be correspondingly sent by the producer program sections, must be accepted by the queue and must be in turn taken by the reader program section, read out and compiled. This general employability of the queues is purchased at the expense of a high administration outlay.

[0007] Program sections run fastest on different processors when they are programmed with an asynchronous data transfer. Given such an asynchronous data transfer, for example, a program section can output a query for data and already undertake a different processing of data while it waits for to receive the data. Such an asynchronous data transfer is highly efficient but very hard to program.

[0008] One problem of these computer programs distributed onto a plurality of program sections is that a test wherein the program sections run simultaneously on a plurality of processors is difficult to implement, since different errors can occur dependent on how the processing event [sic] of the individual program sections overlap in terms of time. As a result thereof, it can occur that a computer program functions correctly a thousand times and an error that was not predictable without further ado occurs again. For a dependable test in practice, it is thereby a necessary prerequisite that such synchronization methods be tested with a multi-CPU computer. These are computers that comprise a plurality of processors that can simultaneously process different program sections.

[0009] A method for the synchronization of program sections must therefore not only [ . . . ] an efficient data transfer and be versatilely usable but must also be fashioned as simply as possible so that no unreasonably great engagement is needed when testing the computer program.

[0010] Tanenbaum, Andrew, Modeme Betriebssystems, Carl Hanser Verlag Munich Vienna, 1994, ISBN 3-446-17472-9, pages 40 through 54, discloses various methods for solving multi-tasking jobs in operating systems. Chapter 2.5 describes what are referred to as semaphores with which the shared employment of buffer memory sections by write program sections and read program sections can be controlled. The control thereby ensues in program sections that respectively have a prescribed buffer section size.

[0011] The employment of ring buffers is explained in Zilker, Praxis des Multitasking, Franzis-Verlag GmbH, Munich, 1987, ISBN 3-7723-8561-3, pages 45 through 61. Such ring buffers are also characterized by a permanently prescribed size of the pre-sections. This publication also describes the employment of queues (messages), whereby the respective buffer sections also have a fixed length here.

[0012] DE-C1-198 57 332 discloses a method for the synchronization of processes wherein an indicator is allocated to a semaphore, a participating program section being capable of indicating a change of the semaphore with said indicator.

[0013] The invention is based on the object of creating a method for synchronizing program sections of a computer program that can be versatilely employed, allows a very efficient data transfer between the program sections and is also fashioned in a simple way.

[0014] In the inventive method, program sections of a computer program are synchronized. The computer program is constructed such that the program sections can run parallel on different processors of a computer. Producer program sections that generate data for a different program section respectively write these into a buffer. Read program sections that read data from a different program section read the data out from a buffer. Buffer sections of the buffer are provided with a respective buffer section flag that prevents a prohibited writing and reading of the corresponding buffer sections, whereby the buffer section flag is independently set by buffer service programs.

[0015] The inventive method for the synchronization of program sections proves, in particular, a buffer wherein the reading and writing is controlled by means of a buffer flag or, respectively, a standard function such as, for example, a semaphore as well as by means of one or more buffer section flags. The access of buffer service programs onto the buffer overall is thereby controlled with the standard function or, respectively, with the buffer flag. This control ensues such that, during the access of a first buffer service program onto the buffer, a simultaneous access onto the buffer by a second buffer service program is prevented. The access of read program sections and producer program sections onto buffer sections is controlled with the program sections flags that are set by the buffer service programs.

[0016] The inventive program structure is fashioned in a very simple way, for which reason it can also be tested with relatively little outlay on computers with a plurality of processors. The inventive method is very efficient, since the data can be directly written into the buffer by a producer program section or, respectively, can be directly read therefrom by a read program section. A pre-processing or, respectively, post-processing of the data that are written or, respectively, read is not necessary. The inventive method is also very efficient since the setting or, respectively, deletion of the buffer flag or, respectively, buffer section flag produces only a slight administration outlay, so that the processor capacity of a computer is concentrated on the essential jobs of data transfer or, respectively, the execution of the program sections.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the individual buffer sections are arranged lying immediately behind one another in the memory area of the computer, and administrative data such as, for example, the flag, the size of the buffer section or the data type allocated to the respective buffer sections are stored in as memory area that is independent therefrom. As a result thereof, a continuous memory area occupied with data is created and this can be quickly and simply read out or, respectively, written with new data. Moreover, this fashioning of the buffer allows that this can be written with blocks of a specific size and blocks of a different size can be read. As a result thereof, the data transfer rate, which is influenced by the size of the blocks, can be correspondingly adapted to the corresponding demands that can be high or low both at the side of the producer program sections as well as at the side of the read program sections.

[0018] An inventive control module (synchronization buffer class) for buffer memory administration can be programmed and/or offered as a turnkey module with which, on the one hand, large quantities of data can be exchanged between various threads and that, on the other hand, allows very flexible read and write operations. A buffer memory in which data are exchanged between the threads is thereby administered such that a buffer write thread can define the size of the buffer section it needs, whereas a buffer read thread can read data across a plurality of buffer sections.

[0019] The invention is explained in greater detail below by way of example and on the basis of the accompanying drawings. Shown in the drawings are:

[0020]FIG. 1 the operation of a computer program split into a plurality of program sections according to the inventive method, shown schematically in a block circuit diagram;

[0021]FIG. 2 the operation of the computer program from FIG. 1, whereby a program section is omitted;

[0022]FIG. 3 a schematically shown example of a buffer with flags allocated to the respective puffer sections in a tabular presentation;

[0023]FIG. 4 the writing into the buffer and the reading from the buffer with different blocks, shown schematically in a block circuit diagram;

[0024]FIG. 5 the writing and reading shown schematically simplified in a block circuit diagram, whereby the block circuit diagram is subdivided into three regions, the region of the producer program section, the synchronization buffer class and the region of the read program section, and the blocks are respectively arranged in the region in which they are executed;

[0025]FIGS. 6 through 10 individual buffer service programs according to a first exemplary embodiment shown in a respective flowchart;

[0026]FIGS. 11a and 11 b a buffer service program according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention that is modified compared to the first exemplary embodiment, shown in a flowchart;

[0027]FIG. 12 another buffer service program according to the second exemplary embodiment of the invention that is modified compared to the first exemplary embodiment, shown in a flowchart;

[0028]FIG. 13 a computer with a processor in a schematically simplified block circuit diagram; and

[0029]FIG. 14 a computer with two processors in a schematically simplified block circuit diagram.

[0030]FIG. 1 schematically shows the operation of a computer program divided into a plurality of program sections P0 through P3. For illustration, only a simple computer program is schematically shown, the program sections thereof implementing the initialization P0, the data reading P1, the data processing P2 and the data writing P3. The program section “read data” P1 must hand over data to the data section “process data” P2 and the latter must hand over data to the program section “write data” P3, for which reason a buffer PU1 is arranged between the program sections P1 and P2 and a buffer PU2 is arranged between the program sections P2 and P3.

[0031] From the point of view of the program section “process data” P2, the buffer PU1 is an input buffer that inputs data into the program section P2, and the buffer PU2 is an output buffer that accepts data of the program section P2. With the inventive method, the data transfer DT from a program section to a buffer—for example from P1 to PU1 or from P2 to PU2—or, respectively, from a buffer to a program section—for example from PU1 to P2—is controlled merely by a communication between the respective buffer and the respective program section. This is shown in FIG. 1 by the arrows PF proceeding opposite the main data stream.

[0032] The basic principles of the inventive control of the data transfer DT between the program sections and the buffers is explained in greater detail below on the basis of FIGS. 3 through 5.

[0033] This control or, respectively, synchronization of the data transfer DT ensues with a synchronization buffer class. The term “class” has been coined in object-oriented programming and means a closed unit in the sense of the present patent application that comprises data stored in fields and variables as a well as programs. The synchronization buffer class comprises a memory area in which one or more buffer sections are stored, a further memory area, the control field in which administrative data for the buffer are stored and buffer service programs. The buffer service programs are functions, i.e. executable program parts.

[0034] In the inventive method, a respective group of administrative data are allocated to each buffer section, these comprising a flag (FIG. 3) a particular about the size of the buffer section and a particular about the content of the data stored in the buffer. The flag is a status variable that can assume three statuses, namely “invalid”, “valid” and “reserved”. When the flag is “invalid”, then this means that no data provided for reading by the producer program section are contained in the appertaining buffer section. When the flag is “valid”, data have been written into the appertaining buffer section that can be read by the read program section. When the flag is “reserved”, then this means that the producer program section has already written data into the appertaining buffer section but these data are not yet enabled for reading by the read program section. The flag must be set to “valid” for this purpose.

[0035] The synchronization buffer class further comprises some buffer service programs such as, for example, GetToBufPntr, GetFromBufPbtr, ReleaseToBufPntr and ReleaseFromBufPntr.

[0036]FIG. 3 shows the flags and buffer sections of an inventive synchronization buffer class schematically in a tabular presentation. At least 8 buffer sections are provided gto which a respective flag is allocated. The buffer section 0 (uppermost buffer section in FIG. 3) contains no data provided for reading, for which reason the appertaining flag has the value “invalid” assigned to it. The further buffer sections 1 through 5 contain data, whereby the buffer section 1 through 3 can be read and the buffer sections 4 through 5 have not yet been enabled by the producer program section. Accordingly, the value “valid” is assigned to the flags allocated to the buffer sections 1 through 3 and the value “reserved” is assigned to the flags allocated to the buffer sections 4 and 5. The further buffer sections 6 and 7 contain no data enabled for reading, for which reason the flags allocated to them comprise the value “invalid”. A producer program section can write data into the buffer sections 6, 7 and 0, and a read program section can read data from the buffer sections 1 through 3.

[0037]FIG. 5 schematically shows the collaboration of a producer program section and a read program section that receives data from the producer program section intermediately stored in an inventive synchronization buffer class. With a step S1, the producer program section starts. With a step S2, FIG. 5 schematically shows the execution of a predetermined region of the program section with which data are generated for the read program section. In step S3, the buffer service program GetToBufPntr is called, this being a constituent part of the synchronization buffer class. With the call of this buffer service program, a query is made as to whether a buffer section of the size M1 is free in the buffer for writing data. The buffer service program GetToBufPntr (M1) executes this query and potentially waits until the corresponding memory area is free. As soon as the desired memory area is available, this buffer service program hands over a write pointer and the parameter M2, which indcates the size of the available memory area to the producer program section. M2 is at least as large as M1. The write pointer contains the address of the start of the available memory area.

[0038] With the start address of the available memory area and the maximally available memory area, the producer program section can write data directly into the available memory area in step S4.

[0039] When all data have been written into the memory area, this memory area represents a buffer section, and the buffer service program ReleaseToBufPntr is called in step S5, the flag of the written buffer section being set therewith to either “valid” or “reserved” dependent on whether the data have been enabled for reading by the read program section or not.

[0040] Steps S6 through S7 symbolically show further processing events of the producer program section. With the intervening step S7, the buffer service program SetResBufState (<flag type>) is called with which the buffer section written in step S5 but not yet enabled is either enabled for reading in that the corresponding flag is set from “reserved” to “valid” or is “deleted” for the read program section in that the corresponding flag is set from “reserved” to “invalid”, as a result whereof this memory area can be written again by the producer program section. The program execution of the producer program section is ended with the step S9.

[0041] The program execution of the read program section is shown at the right side infi 5 and begins with the step S10. The illustration in FIG. 5 is purely schematic and does not reflect the correct time sequence. Step S11 shows a section of the program run wherein a need for data of the producer program section arises. The read program section therefore calls the buffer service program GetFromBufPntr S12. This buffer service program queries whether a buffer section in the buffer is written with data that are enabled for reading by the read program section. When no data are enabled, this buffer service program waits until a corresponding plurality of data have been written and enabled. Subsequently, a read pointer and the size of the buffer section that is written with data enabled for reading are output to the read program section. The read pointer contains the address of the start of the buffer section enabled for reading.

[0042] on the basis of this read pointer and the size of the buffer section enabled for reading, the read program section can read the data directly from the buffer in step S13.

[0043] When the read operation has ended, then the read program section calls the buffer service program ReleaseFromBufPntr S4 with which the buffer section read out by the read program section is re-enabled for writing, i.e. that the corresponding flag is set from “valid” to “invalid”.

[0044] The rest of the program run executed by the read program section is schematically shown with S15. The program run of the read program section ends with the step S16.

[0045] The individual buffer service programs are explained in greater detail below on the basis of FIGS. 6 through 12.

[0046]FIG. 6 shows the buffer service program GetToBufPntr (M1) as a flowchart. It begins with the step S17 which is followed by the beginning of the buffer synchronization S18 in the program run. In step S18, a standard function of the operating system employed is called with which a simultaneous access to the buffer and the appertaining internal variables of the synchronization buffer class by another buffer service program is prevented. In the operating system Windows NT, this standard function can, for example, be realized as a semaphore or as a mutex. These object types (semaphore and mutex) are described, for example, in the help manual of the programming environment of Microsoft Visual C⁺⁺, Version 6.0 for Win32-API—Win NT Applications Programming Interface, as well as in the initially cited book, “Win 32 Multithreaded Programming”, Aaron Cohen and Mike Woodring, O'Reilly & Associates Inc., pages 23-25, 81-86 (mutual exclusion) as well as 27-28 and 87-92 (semaphores). These publications are herewith incorporated by reference into the present specification. The access to the entire buffer is thus controlled by a corresponding buffer flag, whereby at least two statuses “FREE” and “BLOCKED” are provided. Semaphores and mutex objects thereby control the access and potential waiting events largely automatically.

[0047] In a first status (ENABLE) of a corresponding buffer flag, an access is enabled for a querying buffer service program. In the second status (WAIT), such an access is blocked because a first buffer service program already has a current access authorization. Only when a buffer flag (or, respectively, a corresponding object such as a semaphore or a mutex) has an enable status is an access authorization granted to the querying buffer service program.

[0048] In step S19, the parameter M1 handed over by the producer program section is read in, this indicating the memory space required for writing. In step S20 a query is made as to whether a buffer section for the writing is available in the buffer. When the result of the query in step S20 is that is buffer section is fundamentally free for writing, then the program run switches to the step S21 with which the size of the free memory space in the writable buffer section is calculated.

[0049] A query is made in step S22 as to whether the calculated free memory space M2 is larger than or equal to the queried memory space M1.

[0050] When the outcome of this query in step S22 is that adequate free memory space is available, then the first address of the buffer section—as write pointer—as well as the identified size of free memory space M2 are output to the producer program section in step S23. Subsequently, the producer program section can write the data into the buffer section.

[0051] The buffer synchronization is ended in step S24, as a result whereof other buffer service programs can again access the buffer and the internal variables of the synchronization buffer class. The buffer service program GetToBufPntr is ended with the step S25.

[0052] When the query in step S20 shows that no buffer section is basically free for writing or when the query in step S22 shows that the available free memory space is less than the required memory space, then the program run switches to the step S26 wherein a query is made as to whether the write pointer, i.e. the first address of the buffer section to be written, plus the queried memory space M1 has reached or exceeded the physical end of the buffer.

[0053] When the physical end has been reached, the program run switches to the step S27 wherein the write pointer to the physical start of the buffer is stored, i.e. the first address of the buffer as physical start. In the following step S28, the buffer synchronization is ended and the program run switches back to the step S18, as a result whereof the buffer service program GetToBufPntr is begun anew.

[0054] When the query in step S26 shows that the sum of the address of the write pointer and the queried memory space M1 does not point to the physical end of the buffer or beyond it, then the program run switches to the step S29 with which the buffer synchronization is ended, since it was already found in step S20 or S22 that adequate memory space is not available. A wait program is run in step S30 that waits for predetermined events of the further buffer service program and arrests the program run of the buffer service program GetToBufPntr for this length of time. The wait program can thereby employ auxiliary operating system programs or, respectively, objects such as, for example, semaphores. In the present case, the wait program waits until the buffer service program ReleaseToBufPntr again releases a buffer section. While waiting, the buffer service program GetToBufPntr is put to sleep (arrested). The buffer service program ReleaseToBufPntr generates a signal (event) that reawakens (continues) the buffere service program GetToBufPntr. The calculating performance of the CPU is thus not made us of during the wait.

[0055] Since the buffer synchronization has ended in the step S29, a different program section, particularly the read program section, can access the buffer and the internal variables of the synchronization buffer class during the wait program and can read out data stored in the buffer. As a result thereof, writable memory space can be created in the buffer. At the end of the wait program, the program run returns to the step S18 with which the buffer service program GetToBufPntr begins anew. The program run is identical to the above-described program run, for which reason another description is not necessary.

[0056] With the service program GetToBufPntr, the producer program section is informed of the write pointer and of the amount of memory space available for writing. This can then write the data directly into this memory area (S4).

[0057] The write operation is ended (FIG. 8) with the buffer service program ReleaseToBufPntr (M3, <datatype>, <flagtype>). This buffer service program begins with the step S31 and starts the buffer synchronization in step S32. This step corresponds to the step S18 of the buffer service program GetToBufPntr (FIG. 6). In step S33, the parameters supplied by the producer program section are read in, for instance the described memory space M3, data type, flag type. In step S34, the flag of the buffer section is set to “valid” or “reserved” according to the parameters that are read in. Subsequently, the data type is stored in the control field in step S35. Typical data types are, for example, data, end of buffer, end of file or the like.

[0058] The write pointer is updated in step S36 in that the value of the described memory space is added to the previous write pointer. This address stored in the write pointer is now the first free address after the written buffer section.

[0059] In step S37, the buffer synchronization is ended and the buffer service program ReleaseToBufPntr is subsequently ended in step S38.

[0060] With the buffer service program ReleaseToBufPntr, thus, the above-described buffer section is either enabled for reading by the read program section or initially reserved by setting the flag to “valid” or “reserved” in order to then determine later whether the data are enabled for reading or discarded.

[0061] With the buffer service program SetResBufState, one or more reserved buffer section can be enabled for reading or discarded (FIG. 10). With steps S39 and S40, the buffer service program SetResBufState is started and the buffer synchronization is begun. With the step S41, the producer program section accepts the flag value “valid” or “invalid”. Subsequently, S42, the buffer section or buffer sections marked with the flag “reserved” are marked with the flag value taken in step S41, so that the data stored therein are either enabled for reading (flag: valid) or discarded (flag: invalid). With steps S43 and S44, the buffer synchronization is ended and the buffer service program SetResBufState is ended.

[0062] With the three above-explained buffer service programs GetToBufPntr, ReleaseToBufPntr, SetResBufState, a producer program section can write the data it generates into the synchronization buffer class and enable them for reading by a read program section.

[0063] The reading of data begings with the read program section by calling the buffer service program GetFromBufPntr (FIG. 7).

[0064] The service program GetFromBufPntr begins with the step S45 and starts the buffer synchronization in step S46, so that no other program section can access the buffer and the internal variables of the synchronization buffer class.

[0065] A check is carried out with step S47 to see whether the read pointer points to the end of the physical buffer. It is thereby to be taken into consideration that a buffer section without data to which an “end of buffer” is allocated as data type always resides at the end of the physical buffer. This means that the query in step S47 merely queries whether the buffer section to which the read pointer points contains the data type “end of buffer”. When this is the case, then the program run switches to the start of the buffer, i.e. the read pointer is set S48 to the first address of the buffer and, thus, to the first buffer section. Subsequently, the program run switches to the step S49. When it has turned out in the query from S47 that the read pointer does not point to the end of the buffer, then the program run switches directly to the step S49.

[0066] A query is made in step S49 as to whether the flag of the buffer section to which the read pointer points has the value “valid”. When this is the case, this means that the data stored in this buffer section are enabled for reading. In this case, the program run switches to the step S50 with which the read pointer, the size of the buffer section and the data type are handed over to the read program section. This ensues by means of writing the corresponding values into three variables that, when called by GetFromBufPntr, are handed over from the read program section to the synchronization buffer class.

[0067] In the following step S51, the buffer synchronization and subsequently, the buffer service program GetFromBufPntr are ended S52.

[0068] When the query in step S49 shows that the data stored in the buffer section are not valid, then the program execution switches to the step S53 with which the buffer synchronization is ended. In the following step S54, a wait program is implemented. Since the buffer synchronization had been ended in the preceding step S53, the producer program section can write data in the buffer or, respectively, enable data for reading during the execution of the wait program, so that it is possible that data that can be read by the read program section are generated in the buffer during the wait program. This wait program works just like that of the buffer service program GetToBufPntr, whereby, however, it waits for the enable of a buffer section by the buffer service program ReleaseFromBufPntr.

[0069] After the end of the wait program, the program run returns to the step S46 with which this buffer service program is begun anew. The execution is the same as described above, for which reason another description thereof is unnecessary. The read pointer point to the data written in first that, accordingly, are read out first (FIFO buffer).

[0070] With the buffer service program GetFromBufPntr, thus, the read program section queries the parameters needed for reading the data, such as the read pointer, the size of the buffer section and the data type. The read program section can read the data from the buffer on the basis of these parameters.

[0071] The read operation is ended by the read program section by calling the buffer service program ReleaseFromBufPntr (FIG. 9). The buffer service program starts in step S55 and begins the buffer subsequently in step S56. In step S57, the flag of the most recently described buffer section is set to “invalid”, i.e. that the buffer section is enabled for being written by the producer program section.

[0072] The read pointer is updated in step S58, i.e. the amount of the quantity of data read is added to the address of the previous read pointer. The read pointer thus points to the first address of the next buffer section that has not yet been read.

[0073] The buffer synchronization is ended in step S59, and the buffer service program ReleaseFromBufPntr is ended in step S60.

[0074]FIGS. 11a and 11 b and FIG. 12 show flowcharts of the two buffer service program GetFromBufPntr and releaseFromBufPntr that allow the reading of the data in blocks whose length is variable and deviates from the length of the buffer sections.

[0075] The buffer service program GetFromBufPntr starts with the step S61 and begins the buffer synchronization in step S62. In step S63, the read program section reads in the parameters of a relative position. A query is made in the following step S64 as to whether the data of the buffer section (to which the read pointer points) are valid and whether the end of the buffer has been reached. When both apply, the program run switches to the step S65 with which the program pointer is set to the physical start of the buffer. Subsequently, the program run switches to step S66.

[0076] When, in contrast, the query in step S64 shows that either the data are invalid or the end of the buffer has been reached, then the program runs switches directly to the step S66.

[0077] A query is made in step S66 as to whether the data are valid and whether the relative position is greater than or equal to this buffer section. The relative position is a relative address or, respectively, a branch address that specifies the address branch from the read pointer to the beginning of the area to be respectively read out. This relative address corresponds to a quantity of data that can be stored in this address area. In step S66, this quantity of data is compared to the quantity of data of the buffer section. When the query in step S66 shows that the data are valid and the relative position is greater than or equal to the buffer section, then this means that the read operation has crossed the boundary from one to another buffer section and that data of another buffer section are to be read out. Since the flag of this further buffer section has not yet been checked, the read pointer is set to the start of the next buffer section and the relative position is adapted S67 and the buffer synchronization ended S68. The program run then returns from step S68 to step S62, so that the above-explained method steps are implemented anew and the data of the further buffer section are checked for validity.

[0078] When the query in step S66 shows that the data are not valid or that the relative position is smaller than the size of the buffer section, then the program run switches to step S69 wherein the validity of the data is checked anew. When the data are not valid, then the program run switches to the steps S70 and S71 with which the buffer synchronization is ended and a wait program is implemented that waits for the enable of the buffer section by the buffer service program ReleaseToBufPntr. The steps S69 through S71 correspond to the steps S43, S53, S54 of the first embodiment of the buffer service program GetFromBufPntr.

[0079] When the query in step S69 shows that the data are valid, then the program run switches to step S72 wherein a query is made as to whether the data quantity of the data block to be read out is greater than the buffer section. When the query in step S72 shows that the data quantity of the data block to be read out is not greater than the buffer section to be read out, then the program run switches to the step S73 with which the parameters of the size of the data block to be read out and the data type are output to the read program section. Subsequently, the buffer synchronization is ended in step S74, and the buffer service program GetFromBufPntr is ended in step S75.

[0080] When the query in step S72 shows that the data block to be read out is larger than the buffer section, then this means that data of a buffer section and data of a further buffer section are read out with a single data block. A query is therefore made in step S76 as to whether the data of the next buffer section are valid. When the query shows that the data are not valid, then the program run switches to the step S77 with which a query is made as to whether the end of the buffer has been reached. When the end of the buffer has not yet been reached, then the data can be immediately read out and the program run switches to the step S73. Otherwise, the program run switches to the step S73 with which a check is carried out to see whether the data at the start of the buffer are valid. When these data are not valid, then the program run returns to the step S70 that leads to the queue in step S71. Otherwise, the program run switches to the step S79 with which the data from the start of the buffer are copied into the last inherently empty buffer section that forms the end of the buffer and is marked as “end of buffer”.

[0081] As a result thereof, a complete data block can be read out proceeding beyond the end of the last buffer, for which reason the program run returns to step S73 with which the corresponding parameters are output to the read program section.

[0082] After the execution of GetFromBufPntr, the read program section can read a block from the buffer.

[0083] After reading a block, the buffer service program ReleaseFromBufPntr (FIG. 12) is called. This buffer service program begins in step S80 and starts the buffer synchronization in step S81. In step S82, the read program section reads the parameters of the relative position and size of the read data block in. Subsequently, a query is made S83 as to whether the relative position plus the size of the block that has been read in are greater than the buffer section. When this is the case, then this means that an entire buffer section has been read. The program runs then branches to the step S84 wherein the flag of the buffer section that has been read is set to “invalid”.

[0084] In the following step S85, the read pointer and the relative position are updated, whereby the first address of the buffer section following the buffer section that has been read is inserted into the read pointer, and the difference between the address following the buffer section read out from the buffer and the new read pointer is stored as relative position. The sum of the new read pointer and the relative position thus indicate the first address of the memory area in the buffer that follows the buffer section that has been read out.

[0085] The buffer synchronization is ended in step S86 and the buffer service program is ended in step S87.

[0086] When the query in step S83 shows that the sum of the relative position and the size of the block that has been read is smaller than or equal to the buffer section, then this means that the buffer section from which the block has been read has not yet been completely read out. The flag of the buffer section can therefore not yet be set to “invalid”, as a result whereof the buffer section would be enabled for further writing and could no longer be completely read out.

[0087] Data blocks whose size differs from the stored buffer sections can thus be read out with the buffer service programs shown in FIGS. 11, 11b and in FIG. 12. This is shown by way of example in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows a buffer with a total of six buffer section PA1 through PA6. In the present exemplary embodiment, all buffer sections have the same size. However, it is also possible that the individual buffer sections have different sizes. The producer program section has written data units N. N+1, N+2 and N+3 into the buffer sections PA4, PA5, PA1 and PA2. Accordingly, the flags of these buffer sections PA4, PA5, PA1 and PA2 have been set to valid. The buffer section PA3 contains no data provided for reading, for which reasons its flag is set to “invalid”.

[0088] The buffer section PA6 initially contains no data and is marked with an “end of buffer”, i.e. that it represents the physical end of the buffer.

[0089] At the beginning of the read operation by the read program section, the read pointer resides at the first address of the buffer section PA4 that contains the first data that were written.

[0090]FIG. 4 shows that the read program section reads out data by means of four blocks X, X+1, X+2 and X+3. These blocks are smaller than the buffer sections. After reading out blocks X and X+1, data are copied from the buffer section PA1 into the buffer section PA6, so that a continuous quantity of data can be read at the next reading of the block X+2 when the boundary between the buffer sections PA5 and PA6 is crossed. This copying of the data from PA1 onto PA6 is implemented in step S79 of the buffer service program GetFromBufPntr (FIG. 11). When the block X+2 has been read, then it is found that the read pointer points S64 to the physical end of the buffer, for which reason the read pointer is set S65 to the start of the buffer. The relative position assures that only those data are read from the buffer section PA1 that have not already been read from the buffer section PA6 by the block X+2.

[0091] The above exemplary embodiment shows blocks that are smaller than the buffer sections. Fundamentally, however, it is also possible to read out blocks that are larger than the buffer sections. In the above exemplary embodiment, the blocks can have twice the size of the buffer sections.

[0092] One can easily see on the basis of the above-explained exemplary embodiments that the control of the data transfer between two program sections is implemented solely by the synchronization buffer class, i.e. the buffer, the administrative data allocated to the buffer such as the flag, and the buffer service programs. In order to assure an error-free data transfer for writing and reading, the program sections merely have to call the buffer service programs with which the parameters needed for the reading and writing are handed over to the program sections and that prevent an illegal access to the buffers.

[0093] Another advantage of the inventive method is that, due to the separate data interface between each buffer and the program section, the entire computer program can be quickly restructured in that a program section merely writes the data into a different buffer or reads them from a different buffer. This can be simply and quickly implemented by modifying a corresponding class pointer. FIG. 2 shows such a modification wherein the program section processing the data has simply been removed in that the program section “write data” P3 reads its data directly from the input buffer. This is implemented simply by modifying the pointer of the program section “write data” P3 to the input buffer.

[0094] The invention has been explained in greater detail above on the basis of exemplary embodiments wherein a respective buffer is arranged between two program sections, whereby a respective producer program section can write data into the buffer and a read program section can read data from the buffer. In the scope of the invention, however, it is possible that, for example, a plurality of program sections write into a buffer or, respectively, read from a buffer. To this end, the individual buffer service programs must merely be modified to the effect that the program sections cannot simultaneously access the buffer. As warranted, it can be expedient to indicate which data are provided for which program section with the flag.

[0095] The inventive method is provided for the synchronization of program sections that can run parallel on the individual processors given a computer with a plurality of processors. Of course, the inventive method can also be implemented on a computer with a single processor.

[0096] The invention has been explained above on the basis of an exemplary embodiment wherein data can be reserved. In the scope of the invention, of course, it is also possible that the flag can be set only to the two statuses “valid” or “invalid”. The buffer service program SetResBufState is eliminated in such a simplified embodiment.

[0097] A corresponding initialization program is provided for initializing the buffer. This initialization program defines the memory area that the buffer makes use of. It can be set as needed. Accordingly, the plurality of buffer sections can vary; in particular, the length of the individual buffer sections can be different.

[0098] The inventive method can be realized as a component part of an operating system of a computer. It can therefore be fashioned as a computer program that can be stored on a data carrier or transmitted via a data network. In particular, the buffer device can be implemented as a memory module. However, it is also possible to provide a buffer device with a hardware circuit, for example an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) with correspondingly integrated buffer memories that implements the inventive method.

[0099] Shown respectively simplified, FIGS. 13 and 14 show a computer Co with an operating system BS wherein the inventive method is integrated. The computer comprises either a single processor (CPU in FIG. 13) or two processors (CPU1 and CPU2 in FIG. 14). The computer respectively have a permanent memory P-Sp and a main memory RAM. The permanent memory P-Sp is represented, for example, by a hard disk drive, a diskette drive and/or a ROM memory. Typically, the main memory RAM os a semiconductor memory. The processor or, respectively, processors in the illustrated exemplary embodiments communicate with the permanent memory P-Sp and the main memory RAM via a data bus B.

[0100] Before one of the two computers is started, the operating system BS and the complete computer program Co-Pr are stored in the permanent memory P-Sp. When the computer Co is started and the computer program Co-Pr is called by a user, the parts of the operating system BS and of the computer program Co-Pr needed for the implementation are loaded into the main memory RAM which the processor or, respectively, processor CPU, CPU1, CPU2 access for the execution thereof.

[0101] The operating system comprises buffer programs Pu-Pr such as, for example, an initialization program and the buffer service programs. The initialization program is called, for example, after the computer is started, as a result whereof a section for the buffer Pu is reserved in the main memory. In the illustrated embodiment, the buffer Pu is arranged in the region of the operating system BS. However, it is also possible to form the buffer in a memory section of the main memory that is independent of the operating system BS.

[0102] Given the computer Co according to FIG. 13 comprising a single processor, all program sections are executed on the single processor. Given the computer Co according to FIG. 14 comprising two processors, the program sections are distributed onto the two processors, i.e. some of the program sections are executed on one processor and the rest are executed on the other processor. This division onto different processors ensues automatically by means of the operating system BS.

[0103] The software (operating system BS and computer program Co-Pr) of the two computers shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 is identical. The operating system recognizes the plurality of processors according to FIG. 14 and then automatically implements this division.

[0104] Suitable operating systems into which the inventive method can be integrated or, respectively, under which program sections for the implementation of the inventive method can run are Windows NT and multi-processor versions of UNIX.

[0105] In summary, the invention can be presented again as follows: Method for the synchronization of program sections (P0, P1, P3) of a computer program (Co-Pr), whereby the computer program (Co-Pr) is divided such into the program sections (P0-P3) that these can run parallel on different processors (CPU, CPU1, CPU2) of a computer (Co), and producer program sections (P1, P2) generate the data for another program section, respectively write these into a buffer (PU), and read program sections (P2, P3), which read the data from a producer program section (P1, P2), read data out from a buffer (Pu), and buffer sections (PA1-PA6) are respectively provided with a flag with which respective write and read operations of the corresponding buffer sections (PA1-PA6) can be controlled, whereby the flags are set by buffer service programs (S5, S7, S14). Although the program sections are mainly implemented as threads in the above-described exemplary embodiments, these program sections can also be converted by other parts of software or firmware programs. List of Reference Characters P0 . . . P3 program sections PU1, PU2 buffers DT data transfer PF arrow PA1 . . . PA6 buffer sections P-Sp permanent memory RAM main memory B data bus CPU processor CPU1 processor CPU2 processor Co-Pr computer program Bs operating system Pu-Pr buffer programs PU buffer Method Steps S1 start S2 part of a program execution S3 GetToBufPntr S4 write data into the buffer S5 ReleaseToBufPntr S6 part of a program execution S7 SetResBufState S8 part of a program execution S9 end S10 start S11 part of a program execution S12 GetFromBufPntr S131 read data from buffer S14 ReleaseFromBufPntr S15 part of a program execution S16 end S17 start S18 beginning of the buffer synchronization S19 parameter transfer S20 query: is a buffer section available for writing? S21 calculate the size of the available memory location S22 query: available memory location >= requested memory space S23 output of parameters S24 end of the buffer synchronization S25 end S26 query: end of buffer? S27 go to start of buffer S28 end of the buffer synchronization S29 end of the buffer synchronization S30 wait program S31 start S32 start of the buffer synchronization S33 read parameters in S34 set flag (valid/reserved) S35 memory data type S36 update write pointer S37 end of buffer synchronization S38 end S39 start S40 beginning of the buffer synchronization S41 read parameters in S42 set flag (valid/invalid) S43 end of the buffer synchronization S44 end S45 start S46 beginning of the buffer synchronization S47 query: end of buffer? S48 go to start of buffer S49 query: data valid? S50 output parameters S51 end of the buffer synchronization S52 end S53 end of the buffer synchronization S54 wait program S55 start S56 beginning of the buffer synchronization S57 set flag to “invalid” S58 update read pointer S59 end of the buffer synchronization S60 end S61 start S62 beginning of the buffer synchronization S63 read parameters in S64 query: data valid and end of buffer? S65 go to start of buffer S66 data valid & relative position >= buffer section? S67 update write pointer S68 end of the buffer synchronization S69 query: data valid? S70 end of the buffer synchronization S71 wait program S72 query: size of data block to be read out > buffer section? S73 handover of parameters S74 end of the buffer synchronization S75 end S76 query: are the data of the next buffer section valid? S77 query: end of buffer? S78 query: are the data at the start of the buffer valid? S79 copy data from the start of the buffer to the end S80 start S81 beginning of the buffer synchronization S82 read parameters in S83 query: relative position and block size > buffer section? S84 set flag to “invalid” S85 update read pointer and relative position S86 end of the buffer synchronization S87 end 

1. Method for synchronizing program sections (P0, P1, P3) of a computer program (Co-Pr), whereby (a) the computer program (Co-Pr) is divided such into the program sections (P0-P3) that these can run parallel on different processors (CPU, CPU1, CPU2) of a computer (Co); (b) producer program sections (P1, P2) that generate the data for a different program section respectively write these data into buffer sections (PA1-PA6) of a buffer (Pu); (c) read program sections (P2, Pr) read the data generated by at least one producer program section (P1, P2) from the buffer (Pu); (d) buffer service programs (S5, S7, S14) that set flags are employed for controlling the write operations and the read operations; (e) a simultaneous access onto the buffer (Pu) for a second buffer service program (S5, S7, S14) is prevented during the access of a first buffer service program (S5, S7, S14) onto the buffer (Pu); (f) the buffer sections (PA1-PA6) are respectively provided with a buffer section flag with which write and read operations of the corresponding buffer sections (PA1-PA6) can be respectively controlled; and (g) a particular about the size of the respective buffer section (PA1-PA6) is stored together with the buffer section flag, so that the individual buffer sections (PA1-PA6) can have different sizes.
 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that a common buffer (PU1, PU2) is provided for respectively two program sections (P1, P2; P2, P3), whereby one of the two program sections (P1; P2) writes data in blocks of a first size into the common buffer (PU1, PU2) and the other program section (P2; P3) reads data from teh buffer (PU1, PU2) in blocks of a different, second size.
 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a data block covers data from different buffer sections (PA1-PA6) when reading and, in particular, is larger than a buffer section (PA1-PA6) from which reading is performed.
 4. Method according to one of the claims 1 through 3, characterized in that a flag allocated to a buffer section (PA1-PA6) can assume at least two statuses (valid, invalid) that indicate whether data can be written into the buffer section (PA1-PA6) or can be read from the buffer section (PA1-PA6).
 5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the flag allocated to a buffer section (PA1-PA6) can assume a further status (reserved) that indicates that the data written into the buffer section (PA1-PA6) have not yet been enabled for reading.
 6. Method according to one of the claims 1 through 5, characterized in that the buffer section flags are stored in a memory section (control field) that is independent of the buffer sections (PA1-PA6) containing the data, and the buffer sections (PA1-PA6) containing the data are successively stored.
 7. Method according to one of the claims 1 through 6, characterized in that the data that are written into the buffer (PU) first are in turn read out first (FIFO buffer).
 8. Method according to one of the claims 1 through 7, characterized in that a particular about the type of data stored in the respective buffer section (PA1-PA6) is stored together with the buffer section flags.
 9. Method according to one of the claims 1 through 8, characterized in that the buffer service programs (S3: GetToBufPntr, S12: GetFromBufPntr) output a read pointer or a write pointer to the respective program section in response to a corresponding query, whereby the read pointer contains the address of the start of the writable buffer section (PA3) and the write pointer contains the address of the start of the readable buffer section (PA4).
 10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that, together with the output of a pointer, a particular about the memory area available for the writing or for the reading is also output.
 11. Method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that a query for a buffer service program (S3: GetToBufPntr), S12: GetFromBufPnter) processing a write pointer or a read pointer also processes a query about a specific size of the buffer section (PA1-PA6) available for the writing or, respectively, for the reading and, if a buffer section (PA1-PA6) having the necessary size is not available, a wait program (S30, S54) is implemented and the size of the available buffer section (PA1-PA6) is then checked anew, whereby the wait program (S30, S54) is repeatedly implemented until the necessary buffer section (PA1-PA6) is available.
 12. Method according to claim 17, characterized in that the wait program (S30, S54) puts the corresponding buffer service program to sleep, this being awakened by a signal generated by another buffer service program (S5, S7, S14).
 13. Method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the access onto the buffer sections (PA1-PA6) and the appertaining memory sections (control field) is enabled during the execution of the wait program (S30, S54), so that a program section that did not direct the query to the buffer (PU) can access it.
 14. Method according to one of the claims 9 through 13, characterized in that, when the buffer service program (S12: GetFromBufPntr) processing a query for a read pointer determines that data that reside at the start of the memory area (PA1) are required at the end of a memory area allocated to the buffer (PU) as data memory, these data are copied (S79) to the end of the memory area by the buffer service program.
 15. method according to one of the claims 1 through 14, characterized in that, after the reading (S13) or, respectively, writing (S4) of data by a program section, the respective program section calls a buffer service program (S5, S14) that sets the read or, respectively, write pointer to the current value and correspondingly sets the flag of the most recently read or written buffer section.
 16. Method according to one of the claims 1 through 15, characterized in that the program sections (P1-P3) are executed on different processors (CPU1, CPU2) of a computer.
 17. Operating system for a computer (Co) having a plurality of processors (CPU1, CPU2) that implements the synchronization of program sections (P1-P3) by means of a buffer class that comprises a buffer (PU) and buffer service programs (Pu-Pr: S3, S5, S12, S14) according to a method according to one or more of the claims 1 through
 16. 18. Computer having a plurality of processors, characterized by an operating system (BS) according to claim
 17. 19. Apparatus for the implementation of a method according to one of the claims 1 through
 16. 20. Apparatus according to claim 19, characterized by devices for the implementation of the method according to one of the claims 1 through
 16. 21. Computer program effects a method according to one of the claims 1 through 16 when run on a computer. 